Dropping out of high school among children in the United States

Introduction

            School dropping out is a major issue of consideration due to its underlying negative impacts to the high school children. Many of the drop outs cite several reasons related to social and financial issue that requires the concerned stakeholders to take the necessary measures in reversing the trends. The situation in the United States is not alarming since many high school students stay in school. An approximate of 7% of the nations' 18 to 24-year-olds dropped out of school in 2014 which is a decline in comparison to 12% in 2000. However, the effects of dropping out at the early age are the cause for concern since such youths are more likely to be unemployed and unsuccessful. It is important that problem of school dropouts be addressed appropriately to reduce the underlying negative impacts like limited access to employment and success in life. 

 Problem description

            High school dropouts are a major problem despite its prevalence being low. The children who drop out of schools at the tender age are likely to be unproductive and non-contributers of the economic growth of the county. As such, certain measures have to be taken to avert the effects of the issue.

            The causes of high school dropping out are diverse ranging from the school-related reasons to the family related reasons. The school-related causes include missing school several days, poor grades, failure to keep up with school work, suspension, and expulsion among others. The family-related causes include pregnancy, caring for the family, and marriage alongside others (Rumberger & Lim, 2008).

            The problem of dropping out affects the individual child, the immediate family members, and the society at large in different ways. High school dropping out persists as a problem since it interferes with the education system efficiency and the common useful route to individual educational goals for the young people (Sum, Khatiwada, McLaughlin & Palma, 2009). It is important to address the issue since many children are not informed of the consequences of droppig out of school, hence end up making wrong decisions. The problem is most significant when it resets the course of life of the drop outs making them vulnerable to life challenges in their future lives. The problem became an issue in the wake of the requirement of a high school diploma as a credential in the job search. Employers responded to the change by raising the requirements before a job entry. Thus, it is expected that people have the necessary credentials to acquire a job opportunity.  

Factors to consider in identifying the solution

            The dropout prevention strategies vary on the basis of their effectiveness. It starts by assessing the capability of children and targetting them for assistance. Thus, the solution to the problem requires an assessment of the effectiveness of the proposed remedy and also the cause of dropping out. 

            The solution to the problem includes having drop out preventon and recovery programs that emphasize on different pathways to graduation. There can be alternative education possibilities for the children at high risk of dropping out. The participants should be those with many abscences and are over age for their grades in school.

            Another strategy is the incorporation of the early warning systems that help in risk assessment and mitigation. The system uses the warning indicators based on the historical data for the dropouts. Among them are class attendance, course achievement, behavioral change, and the age. The instructor receive the information regularly to identify the at-risk students. The method is easy to adopt, is time sensitive, and more feasible (Balfanz, Bridgeland, Moore & Fox, 2010).   

            In spite of the proposed strategies to address school dropping out, it is evident that some school drop outs are inevitable due to their nature. The behavioral-related dropouts are challenging to resolve with the prevention and recovery programs and the early warning systems. Thus, the focus on behavior should be a priority over other strategies. However, the need to have early warning signs helps to assess and mitigate the high-risk children to drop out.   

Conclusion

            High school dropping out is a significant problem in the education sector and the society at large due to the associated negative impacts. The causes of dropping out are diverse, hence important to consider the route path in the intervention. As a consequence of the incidences of high school dropouts, there ought to be an implementation of the proposed strategies for limiting the impacts of school dropout. More research is necessary on  the effective strategies for addressing the problem of school drop outs.

Reference

Balfanz, R., Bridgeland, M., Moore, L., & Fox, J., (2010) Building a Grad Nation: Progress and Challenge in Ending the High School Dropout Epidemic, Johns Hopkins University,       2010.

Rumberger, R., & Lim, S., (2008) Why Students Drop Out of School: A Review of 25 Years of     Research, California Dropout Research Project, University of California, Santa Barbara,        2008.

Sum, A., Khatiwada, I., McLaughlin, J., & Palma, S., (2009) The Consequences of Dropping Out            of High School: Joblessness and Jailing for High School Dropouts and the High Cost for    Taxpayers, Northeastern University, 2009.

Sherry Roberts is the author of this paper. A senior editor at MeldaResearch.Com in legitimate paper writing services if you need a similar paper you can place your order for custom college essay services.